A typical circuit board includes layers of non-conductive material (e.g., fiberglass) and conductive material (e.g., metallic etching, metallic power supply planes, etc.). In general, circuit board components such as integrated circuits (ICs), resistors, capacitors and connectors fasten to mounting locations on the circuit board, and electrically communicate through the conductive material.
Circuit board manufacturers typically attach circuit board components to circuit boards using either a soldering approach or a press-fit approach. In the soldering approach, a circuit board manufacturer hard-mounts or solders electrical contacts (e.g., pins, pads, etc.) of a circuit board component to corresponding electrical contacts (e.g., plated-through holes or vias, pads, etc.) on a circuit board. There are a number of soldering technologies available to circuit board manufacturers including wave soldering, ball-grid array (BGA) mounting, etc.
In the press-fit approach, the circuit board manufacturer inserts pins of a circuit board component (e.g., an IC) into vias of a circuit board such that the pins and the vias form a compression fit. The press-fit component can then be removed and/or replaced. It is common for a circuit board manufacturer to manufacture circuit boards having both soldered and press-fit components.